Zodiac rethink...

I've had 3 very unsuccessful attemps to do my blocks for the Bead Journal Project 2012. In January I drew out a design for an appliqued wall-hanging featuring zodiac, pagan and mystical symbols... I've detailed it further in my Bead Project section and promptly set about designing and beading the symbol blocks.
The first one was awful, Aquarius, so I did a second. For February I did the next, but in my frustration I beaded the wrong symbol... so now I have 3 beaded blocks- none of which I'm happy with... so this weekend I set about redesigning the blocks.
Having just completed a textile background for my spring cards and ATC's, in yellow, I felt that this would be a good base for my symbols. A little rethink was necessary- originally each section was to be completed in it's associated colours and crystals, so I would need to work them in a different way.

Aquarius- January's

Now they are split into their element groups Water, Air, Earth and Fire and I am using a collaged textile as the base. I already had Air, Water and Fire textiles so spent Saturday making Earth in sumptuous greens.

Pisces- February's

Aries- March's

 

I've just caught up with the first 3...fully beaded and complete so now I can at last post on the BJP 2012 blog and although they are not hugely, or intricately beaded, they now fit my project perfectly.

More pics can be seen in the BJP 2012 section.

Aquarius bead block for BJP 2012

Well, I finally buckled down to beading my first block for the Bead Journal Project this year. I'd designed my wall hanging earlier, but not begun designing the beaded elements...

Once I got going it didn't take long to come up with a set of designs which I thought would be blocky enough to work in beads... but I'm sad to say my first attempt looked awful, no definition and with all the bling there was just not enough contrast between object and background. So I had to retry, this is the second attempt (the 1st attempt is over on my BJP-2012 page )

Aquarius second attempt

 I used delicas, bugles, hex, teardrops and huge seedbeads on felt. I'm still not happy with this- I thought the design might have worked better, so I'm looking at redesigning all 12- or only beading a section of it, but having seen some of the entrants on BJP already I'd feel lazy if it wasn't fairly well covered in beads rather than silks. Best get my thinking cap on before the end of February when I'll need to post my Feb effort on the BJP 2012 Blogsite

Book of Days journal

Well, I simply had to do it, saw it and couldn't resist!!

I came across the Book Of Days 2012 project and thought it would be good for me too, with Milliande's Seed journal project exploring my potential and attitudes, this will go some way to consolidating my self-analysis and healing processes. So looking forward to it this year, it's something I keep putting off.

Now I'm making books on a regular basis I decided to use one of my already made signature sets and just make the covers...

So here's the finished (maybe) journal and opening pages. The covers are mixed media (rather than my usual textile/embroidered ones) because I wanted to really build up the layers and interest in a different way for a change.

Covers, collaged papers, netting,wool,perspex,inks, leaves and beads

Title page and envelope, alcohol inks, pastels,stamps,embossed letters,charms,silks,sharpies

The back page has an envelope too, for things I want to forget/throw out/release from 2011. Now I just need to go through the videos and catch up a bit on prompts.
It's a free project, so pop over and have a look, it promises to be great fun, judging by the comments of those who started on day 1!!

I've added the process in the how-to's- books section in case anyone fancies trying one for themselves.
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Little faces....

Or should that be the small faces? Blast from the past there...

In preparation for my Bead Journal Project I've been playing with ideas...zodiac seems to be the recurring idea, but I rather fancy creating a hanging of  a zodiac wheel that also incorporates the pagan festivals and crystals etc associated with each sign/moon phase...  I quite liked the idea of little faces in the centre of the beadwork, which will be my uptake on each sign...so I've been playing with fimo- not had that out in a while. Luckily I had some stashed away....

So here are todays endeavours

heart faces, glass bead eyes

round face, glass bead eyes

round face, sleeping

Oval face, glass bead eyes

Not bad for first attempts...it's so difficult getting it smooth this small- the biggest is the oval, 1 3/4" high- I will have to give them a light sand later to buff the rough bits off. I don't like drawing or painting faces, I'm not that good at them, seems I have a similar issue with cabs too. These were all supposed to be femine, ethereal and serene, not jesters and Benny Hill. Still, I have time to improve, and decide if they will be centres or not- if I can't get them prettier I might have to rethink the plan.

The beginning of expression....